Town of Whitehall Pool will not open in 2020

The Town of Whitehall Swimming Pool will not open in 2020.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Mayor Mary Janacaro Hensleigh announced the news to the governing body. Hensleigh said pool operators will be unable to take a pool certification class, lifeguards will not be able to get training, and with the window of the middle of June to open it just can't happen. She added they are unaware when Phase 2 of reopening in Montana will kick in, but even when it does the guidelines for social distancing make it almost impossible to have the pool open.

"It's really heartbreaking, but we won't be able to open the pool this year. We will have to find another way to entertain ourselves," Hensleigh said.

In her report to Council, Hensleigh stated the town office and employees have been doing the best they could with the guidelines they were given, and they actually got a lot done.

In his report, Public Works Director Kory Klapan gave a detailed update on the projects they have been working on since the last Council meeting in March.

In the cemetery, Klapan said they have dug two graves, turned on sprinklers, leveled out and filled approximately 20 graves that were sinking, added sprinklers, and have placed 22 section markers.

He added they have been talking with the state about the sidewalk project quite a bit and he does not see anything to worry about there, and contractor Hard Drives Inc. has been in town sweeping streets for the chip seal project tentatively scheduled for July 6 to 12. He said Hard Drives will be in town three or four more times to sweep prior to that date.

Other projects discussed by Klapan included work on two water service line breaks, painting of the front of the city court building, and installation of signs.

The public works department also responded to a sewer main problem on Second Street East and is reminding residents to only flush toilet paper.

In the Sewer, Water, and Garbage Committee report, Council Member Katy James said the current garbage truck is in need of repair and cost to replace would be between $350,000 and $400,000. James said they have asked Town Clerk/Treasurer Summer Fellows to put together a Request for Proposal for an outside service for garbage pickup, with the town continuing with the billing and ownership of cans.

Read more about the meeting in next week's Whitehall Ledger.